System and method for more accurately determining overall quality of baled plant material

ABSTRACT

A system and method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the plant material incorporated into the bale. A baler receives, compresses, shapes, and secures material into the bale. A cutter mechanism cuts a portion of the material in the bale into similarly-sized particles. A mixer mechanism mixes the particles into a homogenous aggregate. A compression mechanism compresses the homogenous aggregate into the bale. An NIR testing system receives and analyzes near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate, and generates evaluation data reflecting properties of the material. The cutter may include knives mounted in a compression chamber of the baler. The mixer may be a relief feature on a center rail, the compressor may be a projecting feature on the center rail, and an NIR sensor may be mounted to the center rail so as to press against the surface of the bale.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/954,789, filed Dec. 30, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to systems and methods for evaluating materials in bales, and more particularly, embodiments concern a system and method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale.

BACKGROUND

A swather, or windrower, is an agricultural machine configured to cut plant material growing in a field and arrange the cut portions in windrows on the field in a swath to dry. An example swather is the Massey Ferguson WR9980 self-propelled windrower. At the time of swathing, the plant material may have approximately eighty-five percent moisture content. At approximately thirty percent moisture content, a rake machine may merge and turn the windrows to facilitate further drying in preparation for baling. It is common to package such plant material into bales for subsequent sale, transport, or other use. A baler is an agricultural machine configured to collect the windrowed and dried plant material, compress, shape, and secure it in the form of a bale. An example baler is the Massey Ferguson 2270XD square baler. At the time of baling, the plant material may have approximately twelve to eighteen percent moisture content.

It is known to test a sample of the plant material in order to determine properties (e.g., protein content, fiber content, moisture content, nitrate content, ash content) that are relevant to its sale or use value. Typically, once a number of bales have been created, a core sample is taken from one of the bales and sent to a third-party laboratory for, e.g., near-infrared (NIR) testing or wet chemistry testing and analysis to determine these properties. In an NIR testing system, light having wavelengths between, e.g., 780 nm and 2500 nm, is emitted by the instrument and at least a portion is reflected by the plant material; received, filtered, and converted to a voltage or current; and then analyzed to determine the properties of the plant material.

The accuracy of NIR testing is highly dependent on the calibration methods applied to the spectra, and calibration methods and results are typically very well documented for NIR testing systems. Different calibration models used by different labs can be built using different wet chemistry testing procedures and results from one lab might vary as much as 30% to 50% compared to another lab which significantly effects the value and end use of the plant material. Another problem with this process is the long time required for the sample to reach the laboratory, the testing and analysis to be performed, and the results to be returned. Another problem is that the sample from one or even several bales from a field may not be representative of the quality of the many other bales from the same field. In some cases, hundreds of tons of plant material are presented by a mere fifty grams of it in the laboratory.

It is increasingly desirable to test bales on site, but doing so requires associating calibration and filtering information with each bale and otherwise meeting the specific requirements of individual customers. For example, many larger customers, such as large dairy operations or other operations engaged in state, national, or international sales, require that testing be conducted by specific laboratories using specific processes in order to deliver a standardized product, which is not satisfied by generic calibration methods and results.

Further, an NIR sensor component of the NIR testing system is typically mounted either in a feeding mechanism or in a compression chamber of the baler. Due to the nature of the baling operation, the amount of time the NIR sensor is exposed to a given portion of the plant material will vary with such factors as the mass of the crop; the speed of the baler; encountering areas of the field previously baled (headlands); and the settings of the baler, such as the speed of a power take-off, the load, and a trip pressure of a stuffer. Similarly, part of the bale may be scanned as the bale exits the compression chamber, which results in a much lower sampling rate for that portion of the bale. As the aggregated plant material in an individual bale may not be homogenous in its properties, property values may be assigned to individual bales that do not reflect the actual overall quality of those bales.

Additionally, the NIR sensor component of the NIR testing system is typically positioned in the compression chamber and scans the finished bale so as to minimize effects of the baling process which may result in lower values for the properties of interest. However, NIR sensors scan an outer surface area of approximately twenty square millimeters to a depth of approximately four millimeters, which can produce unreliable results due to non-homogeneous particle size or otherwise poor representation of the overall plant material.

This background discussion is intended to provide information related to the present invention which is not necessarily prior art.

SUMMARY

Embodiments address the above-identified and other problems and limitation in the prior art by providing a system and method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale.

In one embodiment, a system is provided for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale. The system may be incorporated into a baler machine configured to receive a plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a plurality of bales, and the system may include a cutter mechanism, a mixer mechanism, a compression mechanism, and an NIR testing system. The cutter mechanism may be configured to cut a portion of the plant material in the bale into similarly-sized particles of the plant material. The mixer mechanism may be configured to mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material. The compression mechanism may be configured to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material into the bale. The NIR testing system may be configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, analyze the near-infrared radiation, and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in the bale.

In another embodiment, a method is provided preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale. The method may be employed on a baler machine configured to receive a plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a plurality of bales, and the method may include the following steps. A cutter mechanism may cut a portion of the plant material in the bale into similarly-sized particles of the plant material. A mixer mechanism may mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material. A compression mechanism may compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material into the bale. An NIR testing system may receive and analyze near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, and may generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in the bale.

Various implementations of the above-described embodiments may include any one or more of the following features. The cutter mechanism may include one or more serrated knives mounted in a fixed position such that bale moves against and is cut by the one or more serrated knives. The serrated knives may be spring-loaded so as to control an amount of cutting force applied to the portion of the plant material in the bale. The baler machine may include a compression chamber in which the plant material is compressed, shaped, and secured into the individual bale, and the cutter mechanism may be positioned in the compression chamber so as to cut the portion of the plant material in the bale without damaging a binding material which secures the plant material in the bale. The compression chamber may include a center rail structure, and the mixer mechanism may be a relief feature on the center rail structure which is configured to allow the plant material to expand and mix after cutting. The relief feature may be further configured to allow any plant material falling from the cutter mechanism to be regathered and mixed. The compression mechanism may be a projecting feature on the center rail structure which physically pushes against the bale to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material so as to present a substantially flattened surface to an NIR sensor of the NIR testing system. The NIR sensor may be mounted to the center rail so as to press against the surface of the bale. The NIR sensor may be located on a floating assembly mounted to the center rail and configured to allow for controlling the pressure exerted against the surface of the bale.

This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the present invention, and is not intended to be used to limit the scope of the claims. These and other aspects of the present invention are described below in greater detail.

DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an example baler machine configured to receive loose plant material and shape and secure the material into a bale;

FIG. 2 is a high-level block diagram of an embodiment of a system for creating and physically associating an identifying element with an individual bale of plant material, wherein the identifying element includes a unique identifier and includes or can be used to find calibration and evaluation information;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of steps in an embodiment of a method for creating and physically associating an identifying element with an individual bale of plant material, wherein the identifying element includes a unique identifier and includes or can be used to find calibration and evaluation information;

FIG. 4 is a high-level block diagram of an embodiment of a system for evaluating individual subunits of material incorporated in a bale and, based thereon, assigning a weighted average quality value to the overall bale;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of steps in an embodiment of a method for evaluating individual subunits of material incorporated in a bale and, based thereon, assigning a weighted average quality value to the overall bale;

FIG. 6 is a high-level block diagram of an embodiment of a system for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation view of a compression chamber component of the baler machine of FIG. 1 showing various components of the system of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the various components of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 9 is a progression of fragmentary cross-sectional isometric views showing the operations of the system of FIG. 6 on the sample area of the bale; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of steps in an embodiment of a method for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale.

The figures are not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments they depict. The drawings are not necessarily to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention references the accompanying figures. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those with ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. The following description is, therefore, not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Separate references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are not mutually exclusive unless so stated. Specifically, a feature, component, action, step, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, particular implementations of the present invention can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an example baler machine 20 is shown into which embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated. Although the example baler 20 is a towed square baler, it will be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention may be incorporated into other types of balers (e.g., self-propelled, round) with few or no changes. Broadly, the baler 20 may be configured to move over a field and collect previously cut plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the collected plant material into a plurality of bales. The baler 20 may generally include a pickup assembly 22, a stuffer chute assembly 24, a reciprocating plunger 26, and a baling (or compression) chamber 28.

The pickup assembly 22 may be configured to collect the cut plant material from the field. In one implementation, the pickup assembly 22 may include a pair of ground wheels 30 that support the pickup assembly 22 as the baler 20 moves over the field. The stuffer chute assembly 24 may be configured to direct the collected plant material into position for incorporation into a bale. In one implementation, the stuffer chute assembly 24 may include a charge-forming duct 30 extending from an inlet opening adjacent to the pickup assembly 22 to an outlet opening into the baling chamber 28. The reciprocating plunger 26 may be configured to compress the plant material from the charge-forming duct 30 into a growing bale. In one implementation, the plunger 26 may be configured to reciprocate within the baling chamber 28 in repeating compression and retraction strokes across the outlet opening of the charge-forming duct 30. As the plunger 26 retracts, the outlet opening is uncovered and an additional flake, charge, or other subunit of plant material enters the baling chamber 28, and as the plunger 26 contracts the outlet opening is covered and the additional subunit of plant material is compressed into the growing bale. The baling chamber 28 may be configured to shape the growing bale and secure the compressed plant material in the individual bale. The finished bale may be ejected rearwardly to land on the field behind the baler for subsequent collection. Additionally, the baler 20 may be hitched to a towing vehicle (not shown) by a tongue 32, and power for operating the various mechanisms (e.g., the reciprocating plunger 26) of the baler 20 may be supplied by a power take-off of the towing vehicle.

Some embodiments may create and physically associate an identifying element containing a unique identifier with an individual bale of plant material, wherein the identifying element contains or the unique identifier can be used to find both calibration information for an NIR testing system used to evaluate one or more properties of interest of the particular plant material into the bale and the evaluation information which may be provided in terms of values for the one or more properties of interest. By defining and physically associating the calibration information with the unique bale identifier, a customer for, inspector of, or other entity interested in the feedstuffs or other plant-based biomaterial incorporated into the bale can quickly and easily view the values for the one or more properties of interest for the individual bale, and can understand and be able to refute or accept these values based on how the information was processed for, e.g., a particular region or customer.

In one implementation, the identifying element may be a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, including a microchip and an antenna, embedded or otherwise incorporated into a twine, strap, or other binding material securing the plant material into the bale. In another implementation the identifying element may take the form of a flat tag attached to the twine, strap, or other binding material. In another implementation, the identifying element may take the form of a bar code or similar technology.

In one implementation, the identifying element may contain only the unique identifier, and the unique identifier can be used to look-up or otherwise find the calibration information and the evaluation information in one or more databases. In another implementation, the identifying element may contain the unique identifier and the calibration information and/or the evaluation information. In this implementation, the system may include an electronic transfer mechanism configured to electronically write or otherwise electronically transfer to the identifying element during the process of creating the bale the calibration and/or the evaluation information.

In one implementation, the calibration information may include any one or more of an identification of a technician who calibrated the NIR testing system, a date on which the NIR testing system was calibrated, a date on which the current calibration expires, a treatment and filtering method, a calibration identifier, an intended type of plant material, and an identification of an employer of the technician, which may be AGCO Corporation or another commercial or public entity. Calibration information can be generated in different ways, and in particular, there are different ways to correlate spectral response and calibration. In one implementation, the NIR sensor may be an AGCO sensor and the calibration information may be generated using an AGCO calibration standard, while in another implementation, the NIR sensor may be a non-AGCO sensor and/or the calibration information may be generated using a non-AGCO calibration standard.

In one implementation, the evaluation information may include any one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and a relative feed value (RFV) for the plant material into the bale.

Referring also to FIG. 2 , an embodiment of a system 120 is shown for creating and physically associating an identifying element with an individual bale of plant material, wherein the identifying element includes a unique identifier and includes or can be used to find calibration and evaluation information. The system 120 is shown incorporated into an example operating environment. The system 120 may comprise some or all of the baler machine 20, an NIR testing system 122, and an identifying element securement system 124, which may function in accordance with the method 220 described below. As discussed, the baler machine 20 may be configured to receive plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a plurality of bales 126. In one implementation, the baler 20 may be otherwise substantially conventional in design, construction, and operation.

The NIR testing system 122 may be configured to emit near-infrared radiation and receive a reflected response from the plant material in all or some (e.g., one of every five or fewer bales, or one of every ten or fewer bales) of the bales, analyze the near-infrared radiation, and generate evaluation information reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in each analyzed bale, and may be associated with calibration information which is relevant to the accuracy of the evaluation information.

In one implementation, the NIR testing system 122 may include one or more NIR sensors 128 and a computer 130. The NIR sensor 128 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and may be configured to receive, filter, and convert to a voltage or current the near-infrared radiation reflected by the plant material in the bale 126, and transmit the voltage or current to the computer 130. The computer 130 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20, and may be configured to receive the voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 128 and analyze the voltage or current to determine the properties of the plant material and generate the evaluation information reflecting those properties. The computer 130 may then assign a unique identifier to the bale 126, associate the calibration information for the NIR testing system 122 with the unique identifier for the bale 126, and associate the evaluation information for the bale 126 with the unique identifier for the bale 126. In various implementations, the unique identifier may be used to find the calibration information for the NIR testing system 122 in a first database 132, the unique identifier may be used to find the evaluation information in a second database 134, or the calibration and the evaluation information may be stored together in a single database. In another implementation, one or both of the calibration information and the evaluation information may be stored on a physical identifying element (described below) attached to the bale 126 by the identifying element securement system 124.

In one implementation, the calibration information may include one or more of an identification of a technician who calibrated the individual NIR testing system 122, a date on which the NIR testing system 122 was calibrated, a treatment and filtering method, a calibration identifier, an intended type of plant material, and/or an identification of an employer of the technician. In one implementation, the evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and/or a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 126.

The identifying element securement 124 system may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 of the baler 20, and configured to physically secure to the individual bale 126 a physical identifying element 136 configured to physically associate the unique bale identifier with the bale 126, wherein, as discussed, the unique bale identifier is associated with and may be used to find the calibration information for the NIR testing system 122 and the evaluation information for the plant material in the bale 126.

In one implementation, the physical identifying element 136 may be an RFID tag including an integrated circuit and an antenna embedded or otherwise incorporated into a top, front, or end center portion of a binding material 138 (e.g., twine, strap or similar material) which secures the bale 126. In another implementation, the physical identifying element 136 may take the form of a flat tag similarly attached to the binding material 138. In one implementation, the physical identifying element 136 already has the unique bale identifier stored thereon, and the identifying element securement mechanism 124 need only secure the physical identifying element 136 to the bale 126. In another implementation, the identifying element securement mechanism 124 may include an identifying element writing mechanism 140 configured to electronically write or otherwise transfer the unique bale identifier on the identifying element 136 prior to, simultaneous with, or subsequent to its securement to the bale 126. Further, as discussed, one or both of the calibration and the evaluation information may be stored on a physical identifying element 136, in which case the identifying element writing mechanism 140 may be further configured to electronically write or otherwise transfer one or both of the calibration information and the evaluation information to the physical identifying element 136, such that this information and/or information can be subsequently directly read from the physical identifying element 136 using, e.g., a hand-held reading device 142.

The system 120 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed below in describing the operating method 220.

Referring also to FIG. 3 , an embodiment of a method 220 is shown for creating and physically associating an identifying element with an individual bale of plant material, wherein the identifying element includes a unique identifier and includes or can be used to find calibration and evaluation information. The method 220 may refer to an example operating environment. The method 220 may comprise some or all of the following steps, which may be implemented by components of the system 120 described above. As discussed, plant material may be received and compressed, shaped, and secured by a baler machine 20 into a plurality of bales 126, as shown in step 222.

Near-infrared radiation emitted by an NIR testing system 122 and reflected by the plant material in the bale 126 may be received, filtered, and converted to a voltage or current by an NIR sensor 128 component of the NIR testing system 122, as shown in step 224, and the voltage or current may be transmitted to a computer 130 component of the NIR testing system 122, as shown in step 226. In various implementations, the NIR sensor 128 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and the computer 130 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20. In various implementations, one of every five or fewer bales may be subject to such testing, or one of every ten or fewer bales may be subject to such testing. The voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 128 may be received and analyzed by the computer 130 to determine the properties of the plant material and generate evaluation information reflecting those properties, as shown in step 228.

A unique identifier may be assigned by the computer 130 to the bale 126, as shown in step 230, and the calibration information for the NIR testing system 122 and the evaluation information for the bale 126 may be associated by the computer 130 with the unique identifier for the bale 126, as shown in step 232. In various implementations, the unique identifier may be used to find the calibration information for the NIR testing system 122 in a first database 132, the unique identifier may be used to find the evaluation information in a second database 134, or the calibration information and the evaluation information may be stored together in a single database. In another implementation, one or both of the calibration information and the evaluation information may be stored on a physical identifying element (described below) attached to the bale 126 by the identifying element securement system 124.

In one implementation, the calibration information may include one or more of an identification of a technician who calibrated the individual NIR testing system 122, a date on which the NIR testing system 122 was calibrated, a treatment and filtering method, a calibration identifier, an intended type of plant material, and/or an identification of an employer of the technician. In one implementation, the evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and/or a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 126.

A physical identifying element 136 physically associating the unique bale identifier with the bale 126 may be physically secured to the individual bale 126 by an identifying element securement system 124, as shown in step 234. The identifying element securement system 124 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 of the baler 20. In one implementation, the physical identifying element 136 may be a radio-frequency identification tag including an integrated circuit and an antenna embedded or otherwise incorporated into a top, front, or end center portion of a binding material 138 (e.g., twine, strap or similar material) which secures the bale 126. In another implementation, the physical identifying element 136 may take the form of a flat tag similarly attached to the binding material 138. In one implementation, the physical identifying element 136 already has the unique bale identifier stored thereon, and the identifying element securement mechanism 124 need only secure the physical identifying element 136 to the bale 126.

In another implementation, the unique bale identifier may be electronically written or otherwise transferred to the identifying element 136 by an identifying element writing mechanism 140, as shown in step 236, prior to, simultaneous with, or subsequent to its securement to the bale 126. Further, as discussed, one or both of the calibration information and the evaluation information may be stored on a physical identifying element 136, in which one or both of the calibration information information and the evaluation information may be electronically written or otherwise transferred to the physical identifying element 136 by the identifying element writing mechanism 140, as shown in step 238, such that this information and/or information can be subsequently directly read from the physical identifying element 136 using, e.g., an identifying element reading device 142.

The method 220 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed above in describing the implemented system 120.

Additionally or alternatively, some embodiments may evaluate individual subunits of plant material incorporated into a bale and, based thereon, assign weighted average evaluation information to the overall bale. Under certain circumstances (e.g., during a headland turn) the NIR sensor may be exposed to a single flake, charge, or other subunit of a bale for thirty seconds or more, and when the bale is exiting the chamber the NIR sensor may be exposed to the last few subunits for only one or two seconds. By averaging the scanned spectra and/or property values for all or some of the subunits, the results can be equally weighted in the overall evaluation information for the bale.

For example, for crops of generally lower quality and yield, a baler traveling at a constant speed may take longer to fill its pre-compression chamber resulting in longer time periods between subunits. As a result, a time-based overall RFV and overall value may be one hundred twenty-two (122) and $130, while a position-based overall RFV and overall value may be one hundred fifty-five (155) and $160. For another example, the edges of fields often show reduced quality due to increased equipment traffic, so RFV scores during headland turns are often lower. As a result, a time-based overall RFV and overall value may be one hundred forty-three (143) and $160, while a position-based overall RFV and overall value may be one hundred ninety-one (191) and 225.

Thus, given a plurality of scanned spectra and/or property values for an individual bale, embodiments may weight each such spectra and/or value based on the amount of time the NIR sensor is exposed to the respective subunit of the bale, and then determines and assigns average scanned spectra and/or property values to the overall bale. In a field in which the subunits are largely homogenous in quality, the average property values may be substantially similar to each of the plurality of values, while in a field in which the subunits are of largely differing quality values, the average quality values may be significantly different from one or more of the individual values.

Referring also to FIG. 4 , an embodiment of a system 320 is shown for evaluating individual subunits of material incorporated into a bale and, based thereon, assigning a weighted average quality value to the overall bale. The system 320 is shown incorporated into an example operating environment. The system 320 may comprise some or all of the baler machine 20 and an NIR testing system 322, which may function in accordance with the method 420 described below. As discussed, the baler 20 may be configured to receive plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a plurality of bales 326. More specifically, the baler 20 may be configured to receive a plurality of subunits 327 (also referred to as charges or flakes) of the material, and to aggregate, compress, shape, and secure the plurality of subunits into individual bales 326. In one implementation, the baler 20 may be otherwise substantially conventional in design, construction, and operation.

The NIR testing system 322 may be configured to emit near-infrared radiation and receive a reflected response from the plant material in each subunit of two or more subunits of the plurality of subunits 327 and to analyze the reflected response and generate evaluation information reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in each subunit of the two or more subunits. This process may be performed for all or some of the bales (e.g., one of every five or fewer bales, or one of every ten or fewer bales).

In one implementation, the NIR testing system 322 may include one or more NIR sensors 328 and a computer 330. The NIR sensor 328 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and may be configured to receive, filter, and convert to a voltage or current the near-infrared radiation emitted by the plant material in each subunit of the two or more subunits of the bale 326, and transmit the voltage or current to the computer 330. The computer 330 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20, and may be configured to receive the voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 328 and analyze the voltage or current to determine the properties of each subunit of the two or more subunits and generate the evaluation information. The computer 330 may be further configured to combine the evaluation information of the plant material in each subunit of the two or more subunits to produce one or more overall property values for the individual bale 326, assign the one or more overall property values to the individual bale 326, and save the one or more overall property values in a database. As discussed, combining the subunit evaluation information may include assigning an, e.g., time-based, position-based, or size-based weight to each such subunit evaluation information and then averaging the two or more sets of subunit evaluation information to arrive at the overall evaluation information for the bale 326. In one implementation, the evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 326.

The system 320 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed below in describing the operating method 420.

Referring also to FIG. 5 , an embodiment of a method 420 is shown for evaluating individual subunits of material incorporated in a bale and, based thereon, assigning a weighted average quality value to the overall bale. The method 420 may refer to an example operating environment. The method 420 may comprise some or all of the following steps, which may be implemented by components of the system 320 described above. As discussed, a plurality of subunits 327 (also referred to as charges or flakes) of plant material may be received, aggregated, compressed, shaped, and secured by a baler machine 20 into a plurality of bales 126, as shown in step 422.

Near-infrared radiation emitted by an NIR testing system 322 and reflected by the plant material in each subunit of two or more subunits of the plurality of subunits 327 may be received, filtered, and converted to a voltage or current by an NIR sensor 328 component of the NIR testing system 322, as shown in step 424, and the voltage or current may be transmitted to a computer 330 component of the NIR testing system 322, as shown in step 426. In various implementations, the NIR sensor 328 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into a baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and the computer 330 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20. In various implementations, one of every five or fewer bales may be subject to such testing, or one of every ten or fewer bales may be subject to such testing.

The voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 328 may be received and analyzed by the computer 330 to determine the properties of the plant material and generate evaluation information reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in each subunit of the two or more subunits, as shown in step 428. The evaluation information of the plant material in each subunit of the two or more subunits may be combined by the computer 330 to produce one or more overall property values for the bale 326, as shown in step 430, and assign the one or more overall property values to the bale 326 as shown in step 432, and save the one or more overall property values in a database. As discussed, combining the subunit evaluation information may include assigning a weight (e.g., time-based, position-based, size-based) to each such subunit evaluation information and then averaging the two or more sets of subunit evaluation information to arrive at the overall evaluation information for the bale 326. In one implementation, the subunit evaluation information and the overall evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 326.

The method 420 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed above in describing the implemented system 320.

Additionally or alternatively, embodiments may prepare a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale. More specifically, embodiments may prepare a portion of the surface of the bale by cutting, mixing, and then re-compressing the plant material so as to present a more homogeneous and representative sample to the NIR sensor. Embodiments may allow the NIR sensor to, in effect, scan to a greater depth of approximately twenty (20) millimeters.

Referring also to FIGS. 6-8 , an embodiment of a system 520 is shown for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale. The system 520 is shown incorporated into an example operating environment. The system 520 may comprise some or all of the baler machine 20, an NIR testing system 522, and a sample preparation mechanism 524, which may function in accordance with the method 620 described below. As discussed, the baler machine 20 may be configured to receive plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a plurality of bales 526. In one implementation, the baler 20 may be otherwise substantially conventional in design, construction, and operation.

The NIR testing system 522 may be configured to emit near-infrared radiation and receive a reflected response from the plant material in all or some (e.g., one of every five or fewer bales, or one of every ten or fewer bales) of the bales, analyze the reflected response, and generate evaluation information reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in each analyzed bale, and may be associated with calibration information which is relevant to the accuracy of the evaluation information. In one implementation, the NIR testing system 522 may include one or more NIR sensors 528 and a computer 530. The NIR sensor 528 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and may be configured to receive, filter, and convert to a voltage or current the reflected response received from the plant material in each bale 526, and transmit the voltage or current to the computer 530. The computer 530 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20, and may be configured to receive the voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 528 and analyze the voltage or current to determine the properties of each bale 526 and generate the evaluation information. In one implementation, the evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 526.

The sample preparation mechanism 524 may be configured to prepare a sample area 546 of the bale 526 which is subsequently exposed to the NIR sensor 528. As such, the sample preparation mechanism 524 may be located ahead (i.e., upstream) of the NIR sensor 528 in the baling chamber 28. The sample preparation mechanism 524 may include a cutter mechanism 548, a mixer mechanism 550, and a compression mechanism 552. In various implementations, the cutter, mixer, and/or compression mechanisms 548,550,552 may be one or more physically or functionally distinct or combined components/functionalities. For example, the cutter mechanism 548 and the mixer mechanism 550 may be two separate component or a single component which physically or functionally combines both mechanisms.

The cutter mechanism 548 may be configured to cut and/or grind a portion of the plant material (which consists of leaves and stems) in the sample area 546 of the bale 526 into similarly-sized particles of the plant material. In one implementation, the cutter mechanism 548 may include one or more spring-loaded serrated knives mounted in a fixed location (with the knives being otherwise shiftable against the bias of the spring) position such that sample area 548 moves against and is cut by the one or more spring-loaded serrated knives. In other implementations, the cutting/grinding element may be an auger, a grinder, or powered knives configured to produce substantially the same effect. The mixer mechanism 550 may be configured to mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material. The compression mechanism 552 may be configured to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material back into the bale 526 to provide a generally smooth surface for the NIR sensor 528 to scan.

In one or more implementations, the cutter mechanism 548 may be positioned in the baling chamber 28 so as to cut and/or grind a portion of the plant material in the individual bale 526 without damaging a binding material which secures the baled plant material together. The baling chamber 28 may include a center rail structure 554, and the mixer mechanism 550 may be a relief feature on the center rail structure 554 which allows the cut and/or ground plant material to expand and mix. The relief feature may be further configured to allow any plant material falling from the cutter mechanism 548 to be gathered and mixed. The compression mechanism 552 may be a projecting feature on the center rail structure 554 which physically pushes against the surface of the bale 526 to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material so as to present a substantially flattened surface to the NIR sensor 528. The NIR sensor 528 may be mounted on the center rail 554 so as to cause the sensor lens to exert a pressure against the surface of the bale 526. Additionally or alternatively, the NIR sensor 528 may be located on a floating assembly mounted to the center rail 554 and configured to allow for controlling the pressure exerted against the surface of the bale 526.

The system 120 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed below in describing the operating method 220.

Referring also to FIG. 9 , an embodiment of a method 620 is shown for preparing a sample area of a bale in order to more accurately evaluate the material incorporated into the bale. The method 620 may refer to an example operating environment. The method 620 may comprise some or all of the following steps, which may be implemented by components of the system 520 described above. As discussed, plant material may be received, compressed, shaped and secured by a baler machine 20 into a plurality of bales 526, as shown in step 622.

A sample area on a surface of some or all of the bales 526 may be prepared by a sample preparation mechanism 524. In various implementations, the sample preparation mechanism 524 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20. The sample preparation may include the following steps. A cutter mechanism 548 may cut and/or grind a portion of the plant material in the sample area 546 of the bale 526 into similarly-sized particles of the plant material, as shown in step 624. In one implementation, the cutter mechanism 548 may include one or more spring-loaded serrated knives mounted in a fixed position such that sample area 546 moves against and is cut by the one or more spring-loaded serrated knives. A mixer mechanism 550 may mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, as shown in step 626. A compression mechanism 552 may compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material back into the bale 526 to provide a generally smooth surface for an NIR sensor 528 to scan, as shown in step 630.

After the sample area 546 is prepared, near-infrared radiation is emitted and reflected by the plant material of the prepared sample area 546 in the bale 526, filtered, and converted to a voltage or current by the NIR sensor 528 component of an NIR testing system 522, as shown in step 630, and the voltage or current may be transmitted to a computer 530 component of the NIR testing system 422, as shown in step 632. In various implementations, the NIR sensor 528 may be mounted in or on or otherwise incorporated into the baling chamber 28 or other area of the baler 20, and the computer 530 may be located on or remotely from the baler 20. In various implementations, one of every five or fewer bales may be subject to such preparation and testing, or one of every ten or fewer bales may be subject to such preparation and testing.

The voltage or current transmitted by the NIR sensor 528 may be received and analyzed by the computer 530 to determine the properties of the plant material and generate evaluation information, as shown in step 634. In one implementation, the evaluation information may include one or more of a protein content, a fiber content, a nitrate content, an ash content, a moisture content, and/or a relative feed value for the plant material in the bale 526.

The method 620 may include additional details discussed elsewhere herein, including those discussed above in describing the implemented system 520.

It will be appreciated that two or more of the above-described embodiments or particular details thereof may be combined as need or desired. For example, the embodiment in which individual subunits of a bale are tested and the results combined to create more accurate overall evaluation information for the bale may be combined with the embodiment in which an individual bale is tagged, to result in an embodiment in which the identifying element contains or the unique identifier can be used to find the more accurate overall evaluation information.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the one or more embodiments illustrated in the figures, it is understood that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following: 

1. A system incorporated into a baler machine configured to receive a plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a bale, the system comprising: a cutter mechanism configured to cut a portion of the plant material in the bale into similarly-sized particles of the plant material; a mixer mechanism configured to mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material; a compression mechanism configured to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material into the bale; and a near-infrared testing system configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, analyze the near-infrared radiation, and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in the bale.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cutter mechanism includes one or more serrated knives mounted in a fixed position such that bale moves against and is cut by the one or more serrated knives.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the serrated knives are spring-loaded so as to control an amount of cutting force applied to the portion of the plant material in the bale.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the baler machine includes a compression chamber in which the plant material is compressed, shaped, and secured into the individual bale, and the cutter mechanism is positioned in the compression chamber so as to cut the portion of the plant material in the bale without damaging a binding material which secures the plant material into the bale.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the compression chamber includes a center rail structure, and the mixer mechanism is a relief feature on the center rail structure which allows the plant material to expand and mix after cutting.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the relief feature is further configured to allow any plant material falling from the cutter mechanism to be regathered and mixed.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the compression mechanism is a projecting feature on the center rail structure which physically pushes against the bale to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material so as to present a substantially flattened surface to a near-infrared sensor of the near-infrared testing system.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the near infrared sensor is mounted to the center rail so as to cause the near-infrared sensor to exert a pressure against the surface of the bale.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the near-infrared sensor is located on a floating assembly mounted to the center rail and configured to allow for controlling the pressure exerted against the surface of the bale.
 10. A system comprising: a baler machine configured to receive a plant material and to compress, shape, and secure the plant material into a bale; a cutter mechanism including one or more serrated knives configured to cut a portion of the plant material in the bale into similarly-sized particles of the plant material; a mixer mechanism configured to mix the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material; a compression mechanism configured to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material into the bale; and a near-infrared testing system configured to receive near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, analyze the near-infrared radiation, and generate evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in the bale.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein— the baler machine includes a compression chamber in which the plant material is compressed, shaped, and secured into the individual bale; the cutter mechanism is positioned in the compression chamber so as to cut the portion of the plant material in the bale without damaging a binding material which secures the plant material into the bale; the compression chamber includes a center rail structure; the mixer mechanism is a relief feature on the center rail structure which is configured to allow the plant material to expand and mix after cutting; the compression mechanism is a projecting feature on the center rail structure which physically pushes against the bale to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material so as to present a substantially flattened surface to a near-infrared sensor of the near-infrared testing system; and the near infrared sensor is mounted to the center rail so as to cause the near-infrared sensor to exert a pressure against the surface of the bale.
 12. A method comprising: receiving, compressing, shaping, and securing with a baler machine a plant material into a bale; cutting with a cutter mechanism a portion of the plant material in the bale into similarly-sized particles of the plant material; mixing with a mixer mechanism the similarly-sized particles of the portion of the plant material into a homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material; compressing with a compression mechanism the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material into the bale; and receiving and analyzing with a near-infrared testing system near-infrared radiation reflected by the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material, and generating with the near-infrared testing system evaluation data reflecting one or more properties of the plant material in the bale.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cutter mechanism includes one or more serrated knives mounted in a fixed position such that bale moves against and is cut by the one or more serrated knives.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the serrated knives are spring-loaded so as to control an amount of cutting force applied to the portion of the plant material in the bale.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the baler machine includes a compression chamber in which the plant material is compressed, shaped, and secured into the individual bale, and the cutter mechanism is positioned in the compression chamber so as to cut the portion of the plant material in the bale without damaging a binding material which secures the plant material into the bale.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the compression chamber includes a center rail structure, and the mixer mechanism is a relief feature on the center rail structure which is configured to allow the plant material to expand and mix after cutting.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the relief feature is further configured to allow any plant material falling from the cutter mechanism to be regathered and mixed.
 18. The method claim 16, wherein the compression mechanism is a projecting feature on the center rail structure which physically pushes against the bale to compress the homogenous aggregate of the portion of the plant material so as to present a substantially flattened surface to a near-infrared sensor of the near-infrared testing system.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the near infrared sensor is mounted to the center rail so as to cause the near-infrared sensor to exert a pressure against the surface of the bale.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the near-infrared sensor is located on a floating assembly mounted to the center rail and configured to allow for controlling the pressure exerted against the surface of the bale. 